[Review] Awful Nice
The bond between siblings is an unexplainable one with many benefits and pitfalls. One day, your brother or sister could be giving you their leftover candy, but in the next they could be trying to rip your eyeballs out. Growing up with two younger brothers, I must say that the latter happened more so when we were younger, and sometimes I feel the need to continue this immature behavior. This only seems to be making up a small portion of the complexity that is sharing the same gene pool as other people who kind of look like you in one way or another. Regardless of the indifferences that siblings may face, it's a bond difficult to break.
Awful Nice is a comedy of its own breed that taps into the dysfunctional side of these sibling relationships. I saved myself from having a tainted opinion of what this film would entail by going into it completely blind, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the antics of the two brothers in the film. Perhaps it is because they reminded me of my own brothers in a way. Regardless, I think this was a story worth the viewing.
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Awful Nice
Director: Todd Sklar
Rating: R
Release Date: March 7, 2014
When Jim Brouillette (James Pumphrey) hears news that his father has passed away, he is forced to track down his brother Dave (Alex Rennie) for the upcoming services. While they may be brothers, there seems to remain very few similarities. Jim, a married family man and college professor, tries his best to be responsible in all of his efforts. Contrarily, Dave is quite a deadbeat with not much accomplished in his years of life. It's been awhile since they've been united, and their indifferences are brought to life in the most inopportune setting of a funeral. Their disagreements are put aside with the discovery that they both have inherited the family's lake house in Branson, Missouri, and thus prompts a road trip to check out the current conditions of the house and hopefully sell it for a check to be split between them. The house is a complete dump, and Dave convinces Jim to stay and help him fix it up and mend their lost bond.
The film follows the basic requirements of most sibling movies, but the execution of it was absolutely well-done. The humor of it all seems to be driven by Dave's crazy, bachelor-like antics, and the more Jim resists his behavior the more I found myself laughing. Even in the first scene alone we are introduced to a naked Dave laying on the ground of an indian reservation. However, this is a weird breed of humor, and I think that its just one of those movies that's either going to be loved or hated. The speed is fairly fast paced, and to not pay attention for even a minute could mean that something important in one way or another could be missed.
Whether a viewer has siblings or not, I think there is a little bit of something for everyone who may watch this movie. The whole time I was watching it I felt this relation to Jim and his attempts to keep his head on his shoulders, but Dave definitely gave me the vibe of my younger brother Donnie who enjoys stirring the pot and being controversial whether he intends on doing so or not.
I think that Awful Nice is a pleasant addition to the spring release library. Film is really slow at this time of the year, and this is something that I believe would be worth getting out of the house and seeing. It captures the essence of the inescapable bond that is family, and I felt like it was so relatable on many different levels.
I firmly believe this a film that everyone could enjoy in one way or another, but even more so when a viewer has siblings that drive them nuts. Jim and Dave are very eccentric in their own unique ways, and a multitude of fist fights and arguments have a weird way of proving their sibling relationship. The jokes fell one after the other, whether they be contrived or situational. I really appreciated the humor peppered throughout, and I hope that someone else could enjoy it as well. A weirdly heartwarming tale with it's even weirder conclusion, I think this is the kind of dysfunctional tale that was entertaining in most of its efforts.